The Eastern Bluebird: A Species Once On The Brink Of Extinction

The Eastern Bluebird symbolizes both greatness and strength on one hand and the frailty of nature on the other. It is sad at one point, these cute birds were on the brink of being extinct mainly because of predation by man, but today, these bird species are slowly recovering, and people have learned some lessons in conservation.

This article focuses on disseminating relevant information on the Eastern Bluebird; the perching and non-perching posture, feeding habits, roosting, and regeneration, which is why bird watchers and lovers of birds admire this beautiful bird.

Introduction

Overview Of The Eastern Bluebird's Physical Characteristics

The Eastern bluebird is one of the small thrushes with the most attractive appearance. There cannot be other birds with similar blue feathers in the jungles. They have rounded heads with short straight bills; their adorable body shape makes their personalities look flashy and charming.   

Size: Adult eastern bluebirds do not exceed nine inches in length.

Weight: These birds weigh between 2.5 to 3.5 oz. and are some of the most dwarf birds in the world

Lifespan: Specific to the Wild Eastern Bluebirds, it has been established that the creatures can live for up to half a decade, though other specimens in their family have been known to outlive this expectancy.

Why They Are Loved?

Both birdwatchers and non-birdwatchers are charmed by their appearance and lively behavior. They are thrilled with it because of its bright body color, alert movement, and nice melodious sounds.

These birds operate in plains. They sing, glide for food or anything, and make many people happy. Nights are required for sound levels. It's a pleasure to witness friendly and sociable animals in the gardens and parks of North America.

Source Of The Blue Feathers

Many people would love to know that, in the true sense, the Eastern Bluebird does not achieve a blue tinge from any pigment it ingests. Thus, instead of color, it has another form of structural features that are aesthetically appealing and attractive when viewed scientifically.

Unique Origin Of The Blue Color

It doesn't come from pigments in their diet, unlike other birds. Blue is a texture that one cannot put in one's mouth. Just as a Plane made of steel is steel, the blue color of the Eastern Bluebird is the actual physical make-up of the feathers. Specifically, the blue hue results from how light reacts with the reflections off the narrow layers of air spacing in the feather structure.

Explanation Of Structural Color

How do tiny air pockets in the feathers create various shades of blue by reflecting light? Colors in birds, such as the bright colors of the eastern bluebird, are created by the structural coloration of light waves through bars of structure in the feather. Detectors see the foam structures on the outer surface of the Hubble. They are seen to distort the light in a manner that stretches out an increased quantity of blue wavelengths while decreasing the other colored wavelengths.

This means that the bluebird covering will be of a different color depending on the angle and the lighting. This is an added advantage concerning the appearance since the look of such a covering may change at other times of the day.

Why They Can Appear Gray Or Brown?

Researchers reveal that the blue color depends on light reflection, making them seem dull from a distance. Even the bright blue color of the Eastern Bluebird may appear greyish-brown in poor lighting or from a distance. This is because there is a reflection method of light on them.

When not observed, especially at night, the Blue looks faded, making the colors perfect for concealment among trees and grass. This color, Venezuela, challenges birding enthusiasts since their colors may sometimes be complex.

Male And Female Difference

Male and female bluebirds are separated by color physical appearance, size, shape, and behaviors. These are mentioned below in detail.

·  Physical Appearance

Male: With "bright blue feathers" on its head, back, and wings, he has a remarkable, colorful appearance. Its bright "rusty red" or "orange" breast and throat stand out vividly against its white belly.

Female: She is more muted in appearance, with a "lighter, duller orange" on the chest and throat and a "grayish-blue back" and wings. When compared to the male, the colors are softer and less vivid.

·  Size And Shape

Male: Due to his vibrant, well-groomed feathers, he has a somewhat larger, more defined body structure and a "sleek appearance."

Female: She has a "rounder, softer shape" and is typically a little smaller.

·  Behavior

Male: They tend to be more territorial; they are frequently observed "defending nesting sites" and luring partners with songs.

Female: While both parents help raise the chicks, females are more interested in "nest building" and "care of young."

Feeding Habits

During the warmer months, caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers are the main insects that eastern bluebirds eat. They eat berries and fruits like dogwood, sumac, and holly in the winter. They prefer broad fields and meadows for hunting, where they can feed on the ground or catch insects in midair. Read below to learn more about their feeding habits.

Primary Diet

The Eastern Bluebird feeds on fruits, seeds, berries, worms, and insects, including caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, although it predominantly feeds on bugs. They eat different bugs to mention but a few. They change their food source and capture from above by perching on tree branches like a post, waiting for animal movement on the ground, or flying and catching it.

Seasonal Changes

In terms of consuming food, there are differences in the different seasons of the year. These birds feed during the period when many fruits are ripe, though, in fall and winter, they switch to fruits such as berries and sumac. It also aids them in feeding on all that is available because insects, which form the insects' diet, hardly come to life during the cold periods of the year.

How To Attract Them To Your Yard?

If you wish to give this beautiful bird a meal in your backyard, you should use a platform feeder with live or dried mealworms, and provide bird baths to appeal to them. When putting these feeders and baths, you should ensure the structures are located in an open place near trees or shrubs as it will offer the bluebirds safety and can afford to look for food.

Nesting Habits

The eastern bluebird prefers to build their nests in cavities, such as old birdhouses or woodpecker holes. They use soft materials like feathers, pine needles, and grasses to construct their nests. Every year, two to three broods are raised by both parents. After around two weeks, the three to seven pale blue or white eggs laid by the females hatch. Below are some nesting habits.

Preferred Nesting Spots

Some Eastern Bluebirds nest in natural and artificial nest sites and nest boxes. The species mainly select natural cavities, nest boxes, or old woodpecker holes and fence posts. These locations provide the reptiles with a safe place from their predators and, most importantly, the environment to breed.

Dependence On Wooden Fence Posts And Old Orchard Trees

In the past, Eastern bluebirds were known to nest in cavities, using wooden fence posts and old orchard trees. However, these traditional sites are disappearing due to modern farming practices and increased urbanization. Consequently, because of the dispersal of these vital nesting habitats, those populations are under even greater pressure to provide artificial nesting opportunities using nest boxes.

Nest Box Preferences

Smaller, snugger nest boxes with larger entrance holes are favored by bluebirds. This design protects the eggs and chicks, and simultaneously, the adults have free, unhindered, unrestricted, and unobstructed access.

Nest boxes should be mounted between 1.2 and 1.8 meters from the ground oriented towards an area with a comparatively lower density of plants on the local estate, preferably a country yard or meadow, so that the chicks can observe their surroundings and the parents can quickly bring food for them.

Courtship And Nesting Behavior

It is a breeding behavior in which male Eastern Bluebirds sing to attract females. They can sing sweetly, feed each other, and even do incredible stunts associated with a potential suitor. Once a pair is formed, they assist in constructing a large nest made from grass and pine needles, among other materials. Once the female lays her eggs, they stay around and wait until they hatch.

Habitat Loss

Unfortunately, Eastern Bluebirds have suffered specific impacts from habitat control. Suburban development and industrial agriculture significantly have reduced their nesting and feeding grounds, which has left them with a small area to breed and search for food.

Losing other trees and wooden structures as nests has also compounded the problem. Preservation and recreation of their habitats have been considered necessary if such a beautiful creature like the Eastern Bluebird exists.

Competitors

Besides direct losses due to breed extinction and expansion of your home habitat, invasive species like house sparrows and European starlings compete for nesting cavities with bluebirds. These pugnacious birds employ the holes required for breeding to the degree that bluebirds cannot successfully fledge their young. Potentially, these competitors may affect the nesting environment of blues birds in this view.

Bluebird Eggs And Fledglings

Female Eastern Bluebirds will lay 3 to 7 small pale blue eggs on tree hollows or nest boxes provided. The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 14 days, after which the young ones hatch.

How Long After Hatching Do Bluebirds Fledge?

Eastern Bluebird chicks usually take about 16-21 days to feather upon hatching fully. At this age, the parents should feed and care for the young to make them strong enough to fly.

How Long Before Bluebirds Fledge?

It can take about 25- 30 days from when the female lays eggs to when the chicks become flightless. The incubation period takes twelve to fourteen days, and the fledging stage takes seven to ten days.

How Long Do Bluebirds Incubate Their Eggs?

These birds, known as Eastern Bluebirds, generally take 12 to 14 days to hatch their eggs. At this stage, the female is most often solely involved in the incubation of the eggs, while the male feeds the female.

The Recovery Of The Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebirds have lost habitat and population to other invasive species, such as the House Sparrows.

Historical Decline

Like many other bird species, between the 1920s and 1970s, bluebird populations plummeted due to habitat loss and competition. Nests were lost most of these years, and bluebirds were under pressure from agricultural activities.

Human Intervention

Bluebird population recovery was greatly aided by human intervention. By providing secure nesting locations, conservation efforts, such as the establishment of bluebird trails and nest box campaigns, helped the species recover. By guaranteeing the preservation of their habitats and promoting the long-term survival and revival of the species, these actions served to protect bluebirds.

Current Population

Though improved, they still require conservation support, with an eastern bluebird rating of 7/20 on the continental concern score, indicating it is moderately vulnerable. More precaution and sensitization of people protecting such habitats during the relevant times of the year will be essential to prevent similar issues that occurred in the past years.

Opportunities To Help

Learning about this beautifully colored bird and how you can support the species is easy. You can do this by putting up and caring for nest boxes, offering Eastern Bluebirds food and water, and protecting their habitats.

How The Public Can Contribute?

There are several ways in which public members can contribute to conserving the Eastern Bluebird. One of the most effective practices is to correctly install proper nest boxes and get involved in local conservation efforts.

The following precautions concerning the dimensions and location of these boxes can help people offer necessary nesting opportunities for bluebirds. Moreover, such actions count when considering local conservation actions, such as tracking the bluebirds or contributing to wildlife causes.

Recommended Resources

For those interested in learning more about Eastern Bluebirds and how to help, several resources are available discussed below.

·       North American Bluebird Society:

This organization has a very informative page on bluebird conservation, how to build and where to put houses, and the state of bluebirds in North America.

·       Bluebird Restoration Association:

This group was established to rouse the people and reintroduce bluebirds. Its website has information about local projects, where and how people can get birdhouses, and more information about how they can help with conservation.

So, visit the websites of the North American Bluebird Society and Bluebird Restoration Association for more information.

Conclusion

Eastern Bluebirds can be much more than beautiful birds; those birds may seem the only hope to people with no hope. They were an endangered species some time ago, but the initiative instituted for their protection of such generic animals is praiseworthy. This occurs when at least one has learned their qualities, conduct, and the effort it demands to survive and can only focus on the so-called creatures.